Father James Griffin was the pastor of St. Margaret of Cortona Parish in the Bronx, New York, during most of the eight years I attended the parish elementary school. He was young, enthusiastic, kindhearted and a real joy to be around. In fact, he was so beloved by his parishioners that upon his leaving for another assignment, they gave him a brand-new Oldsmobile! I’ll never forget when I heard the news – I couldn’t believe the parish had raised enough money to buy our pastor a new car!
Topics: Catholic Missions, Missio, St. Margaret of Cortona Riverdale, Bronx Irish Catholic, Motorcycle, Ivory Coast, Mission, Catholic Priests, 4x4, Saint Theresa's Parish, Bondoukou, Pickup Truck
While my grandfather inspired my love of “the Missions,” it was my mother who made me think that being a missionary Sister was “way cool.” Growing up, she always talked about wanting to become a Maryknoll missionary. That is, until she met my dad. She certainly wasn’t afraid of travel nor did she mind doing without modern conveniences, having spent a good deal of her childhood living in the jungles of Panama and later, on the island of Trinidad. She also loved telling the story of her Aunt Alphonsus, a Religious Sister who served as a missionary in China until she was forced to flee – smuggled out of the country by an ox cart in the middle of the night! Aunt Alphonsus was as close as you could get to a superhero as far as my mom was concerned.
Topics: Insider, Catholic Missions, Catholic China, Feeding Programs, Trinity Mission Hospital, Maryknoll, Leseru Hospital, Jane Ataku, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Bronx New York, Missions In China, Religious Sisters, Mission Hospital, Missionary Sisters, Missio, Our Lady of Mount Carmel
